


This Still Doesn't Make Us Friends

by blessedharlot



Series: Still Not Friends [1]
Category: The Great Library Series - Rachel Caine
Genre: Also Khalila/Dario but not so directly in the sexins, Anal Sex, Cissexist language im trans myself and this is kinda where these boys are im sorry, Dario Loses His Boy Virginity, Fellatio, I may have dated and/or been the first seven pages of Khalila here, Ill work on trans friendly stuff in this universe, Light Masochism, M/M, Oral Sex, Poly Jess and Morgan, Porn with Feelings, Teasing, Voyeurism, darios submissiveness at about 3 percent power, i nearly included a written contract on khalila’s behalf, monoromantic and just a little inventive with the sexual arrangements khalila and dario, you would think they’re poly though for all the talking about fucking they do before the fucking, “just so everybody is on the same page”
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-03
Updated: 2019-04-03
Packaged: 2020-01-01 09:07:07
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,933
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18332954
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blessedharlot/pseuds/blessedharlot
Summary: It's two years after the end of Smoke and Iron, and the two committed couples of Christopher Wolfe's postulant class are all still close, despite their very different lifestyles.This comes in handy when Khalila wants help exploring Dario's lingering desires.





	This Still Doesn't Make Us Friends

**Author's Note:**

> This is not a complete guide to first time penis-in-anus sex, nor to negotiating sex for your bi-curious husband. Please do further research than this, you will be glad you did.
> 
> Also, I extracted this story out of a much, much longer future-based headcanon that will probably not ever completely see the light of day, so this has a lot of details crammed in. Please enjoy the clutter.
> 
> Also also I’m rushing posting just a bit to give time to another project. Apologies for proofreading deficiencies.

Jess sat back, smiled, and swirled his after-dinner port around in his goblet. 

He wasn’t even entirely sure what swirling one’s port accomplished. But he’d seen Christopher do it with his wine on more than one occasion. And it was just ridiculous and pretentious enough to look like a fun thing for a man to do while savoring his drink after a wonderful dinner spent with his partner and two of their closest married friends.

Dario had gone all out on the food, and it had been delicious. Their new chef had a flair for Greek food and had filled the table with delectable dishes.

There hadn’t been alcohol until now, which Jess just assumed was a random concession to Khalila not drinking. It hadn’t been missed. Their spirits were already high. Every single one of the four of them had, at some point in the last month, accomplished a major project at work. Massive headaches, delays, months and months of planning and replanning -- all behind them, all ending in success. They were all a bit giddy at the thought that they had free time again. 

Jess worried only a bit about the timing. Next week would be two years since the battle now known as Feast Day. The anniversary was a celebration for most, on its way to becoming a standard Library Holiday. But it was still tough for him. He still thought of Brendan every day. A big part of him wished his project hadn’t wrapped up, so he could distract himself with a heavy workload a few weeks longer. But, he’d find a way through.

And Khalila’s plan to spend the evening together had been lovely so far. He and Morgan had built themselves a significantly different kind of home life than Khalila and Dario had. But they were still family, and still enjoyed each others’ company thoroughly.

And now, they all retired to Khalila and Dario’s tastefully furnished living room for more talk. Morgan spread herself across most of a lavish couch, and Jess found himself on the floor near her arm. Having poured them both generous glasses, Dario gave himself plenty as well, and sat on another sumptuous yet tasteful couch next to Khalila, who held her goblet of juice with her usual fine dignity.

“So Thomas is alright, then?” Dario asked, continuing the last topic from dinner.

“Thomas is just fine,” Jess said. “He barely noticed there was any danger.”

“What, he didn’t notice the gunmen?” Khalila replied, a hand to her chest.

“Eh. It wasn’t that he didn’t notice them,” Jess said. “Well, you know Thomas. He had a work task he was doing, and they got in the way. So he handled it. They weren’t expecting that, so he had an element of surprise.”

Dario chuckled.

“He might have also had a colleague that he wanted to impress,” Morgan said with a conspiratorial smile.

“Yes, yes,” Jess smiled. 

Dario’s eyebrows darted up, and Khalila’s eyes narrowed.

“Details,” Khalila demanded. “Now.”

“Her name is Stefania,” Jess informed them. “She’s quite beautiful, and as tall as he is. And she’s a brilliant chemist.”

“They’re working together?” Dario asked.

“Frequently, yes,” Jess said. “They’ve known each other four months. I know this because that’s exactly how long I’ve been coaching Thomas on how to ask her out. Which he has not yet accomplished.”

Everyone laughed sympathetically. Even Khalila, who moaned in pain as she laughed.

“Sweet Thomas!” she said. “Do we need to offer him more help? Morgan! Should we devise a seminar for him?”

Jess chuckled. “I don’t know that-” 

“That might be a good idea,” Morgan said. “Let’s hash that out.”

“We’ll do it,” Khalila raised her glass. “He’s a catch, it will be a good service to all of womankind.”

“Agreed!” Morgan exclaimed behind Jess, taking another sip. Jess thought her sip was a good idea, and took another himself.

“Okay, alright, hang on.” Khalila raised her voice to gather everyone’s attention. “Before we get any further into the alcohol at all. I need to bring something up.”

“This had better not be work, Khalila,” Jess replied, feeling elated just from the time away from Library duties.

“No work!” Morgan echoed, tossing a throw pillow in Khalila’s direction.

“It’s not work,” Dario said. “Put the projectiles away, Obscurist Hault!”

“It’s not work, Dario’s telling the truth,” Khalila said. “Pipe down!”

“Oh, thank God, I thought you were starting a committee meeting,” Jess said. Morgan laughed at his joke.

“We’re serious,” Khalila laughed before adopting a more neutral face. “We have something we wish to discuss with both of you. And I don’t know why Dario pulled it out already, but we need to do it before the drink hits you.”

“Just a little lubrication, madonna,” Dario said. “Just enough port to get you both to say yes. Not enough to make you have second thoughts. This is a delicate matter.”

“Okay, I’m slightly curious.” Morgan’s brow furrowed in interest.

Khalila continued. “We have… a request to make of you. And I know I'm asking something of both of you. And I'm the one speaking it aloud because I want it to be quite clear how much I support this idea.”

“It was your idea to act on this,” Dario said.

“Yes it was.”

“Well, I'm definitely intrigued now,” Jess said.

“Please listen carefully,” Khalila said.

Jess and Morgan exchanged questioning glances. As Morgan sat up to listen, Jess swung an arm across her lap. And he took another sip of port. 

“Dario and I…” Khalila began. “Our way of loving and supporting each other does look a bit different than yours. You’ve each chosen to embrace relationships with multiple people that you love and care for. That’s not us, it won’t be us. But you know we love you for who you are, and support you. And we wonder now... if you might have the capacity to help us with something.” 

Jess wasn’t sure, but he thought Khalila might be blushing.

“What is it, exactly, Khalila?” Morgan asked.

“Dario and I have the very enjoyable duty to satisfy each other.” Khalila’s voice got dusky as she finished the sentence, and Jess was definitely paying attention now.

“I demand a lot of him. I will tell you that much.” She smiled deliciously, and put a hand to his cheek. “And he is generous, and provides for all of my demands. And I get my needs met. I have no wish for anything else. But it’s right and proper that I see to his needs as well.”

Dario, Jess noticed, was holding Khalila’s hand and receiving her affections easily, but was now avoiding eye contact with all of them.

Khalila ran a hand across Dario’s knee. “Dario and I... we met so young and married so fast… which I do not regret in the slightest. But it means that there are… physical experiences that Dario missed, that would do him good.” She emphasized that moral goodness as she would in any other lecture she gave, with a emphatic and noble nod to Jess and Morgan. “I can't physically provide these experiences myself, in a direct manner, but I can perhaps provide to him in other ways.”

“There’s an experience Dario missed in all his early tomcatting?” Morgan asked with a smile. “Didn’t sound that way from the stories you told.”

“As vast as my experiences were with the ladies...” Dario gave the curio cabinet nearby a broad, smug smile. “I, ah… didn't quite realize that I might one day be… looking for more.”

Jess felt a broad grin spread, as he began to see the outline of the request. “What plan are you proposing, Khalila?”

“I am proposing that we discuss how we might all feel about you and Dario… negotiating… a sexual encounter with one another that meets both your desires.”

“Hang on,” Morgan said. She was smiling but she was shaking her head in disbelief.

“I have…” Dario found his voice. “I have a lingering curiosity about being with a man. It’s not something I absolutely need. I wouldn’t… I wouldn’t risk Khalila for anything.”

“So Khalila, you’re…” Morgan found herself at a loss for words, which Jess hadn’t seen in some time.

“Dario’s not demanding this,” Khalila said. “It’s my idea. We don’t have to find this chance for him, but I want to try. And the obvious place to look was to our friends, whom we love, and trust. I know we’re asking something of both of you, which is why we’re all here for this.”

“And you’re not looking for any other relationships,” Jess said, sure of the answer already. “This is a sexual encounter you want.” He looked at Dario, who had been examining his slacks. But soon, Dario raised those dark eyes to look at Jess, and there was a flash of hunger there that Jess hadn’t seen him show before.

“Well,” Morgan smiled. “I mean it’s a clever solution. It's not like the two of them are at risk for falling in love with each other.”

“Exactly my thought!” Khalila. “And you’ve got the idea, Jess. Neither one of us are looking for more relationships. We understand how that meets your needs, but it’s not us. But we trust you both implicitly, and we believe this would still be an encounter based in love and care. Such as it is between you two.” She smiled sardonically at Dario and ran a fingertip across the back of his neck.

Jess’ grin somehow got bigger. “Dario?”

“Mmhm?” Dario said noncommittally.

“Where are you in all of this?”

Dario pursed his lips and shook his head with as much smugness as he could muster under the circumstances.

“I’m craving a cock, Jess.” Dario had managed his name, but it had certainly felt to Jess like a “scrubber” had been coming at the end of that, and Dario just thought better of it. “I expect you've got one of those down there somewhere. And yes, I trust you. I trust you both. As does my beloved, of course. I think maybe your arrangement could extend some of its benefits my way.”

“Khalila, how do you reconcile this with your faith?” Morgan asked of her. Jess kept his eyes on Dario, who didn’t look away this time.

“I was speaking from my faith, truly, when I spoke of our responsibilities to each other. It's my duty to satisfy Dario sexually, as it is his to satisfy me. I am certainly applying more permissiveness and creativity than is traditional.” Khalila gave one of her head nods that Jess had seen her use many times to punctuate her own creative ways of meeting challenges. “But sometimes the exact form of established rules doesn't support the spirit of them. And in private matters, it’s important we perform our due diligence and follow our heart, which is what I've always done. I don't want him to feel this lack. I don't want him to wonder. And there's no one else I'd trust more with our sex life.”

“Would you be involved then, Khalila?” Morgan asked.

“Not... directly,” Khalila said with a smile. “I don't have that desire.” She paused, finally stumbling just a bit. “But Dario’s sex life is still mine as well. And I thought... perhaps...”

“You want to watch,” Jess said, throwing Khalila a glance under hooded eyes.

Khalila definitely blushed. “That would be my request. If we ascertain that it’s amenable to everyone.”

“This is so sweet, I'm going to cry,” Morgan said, her eyes wide.

Jess laughed warmly. “Yes, it's precious. Dario just called me a cock he could use. I'm getting misty-eyed myself.”

“Come on, Jess. You noticed long ago how pretty I am.” Dario gave his most winsome smile. “You have to have some lingering curiosity yourself, especially since you started playing for both sides. I kicked you out of my bed the very first day we met. Don't you want to come full circle and close that loop? I’m inviting you back in.”

Jess met his eyes again, and felt the usual not-entirely-pleasant tension that just naturally bubbled up inside of him when Dario spoke on almost any topic. 

But Dario’s last statement wasn’t just posturing to cover his vulnerability. While Jess had zero interest in a romance with Dario, he’d be lying if he said Dario’s beauty hadn’t played any part in him coming to terms with his own sexuality.

Jess turned to see Morgan’s face. She had a warm smile, and twinkle in her eyes. He wanted to talk to her in private about it. But it sure looked like her immediate answer wasn’t no.

“And we’re not asking for an answer right now,” Khalila said quickly. “We’d rather you consider it thoughtfully. Discuss it yourselves. We can continue examining the idea together.”

“What do you want to do, Dario?” Jess asked firmly, watching his eyes again. Dario’s posture had changed from evasive to defiant. His chest rose and fall with a bit of agitation now.

“That’s not clear?” Dario said with a grin. “I want to do you.”

“Give me specifics. Details. Use your words, my friend.”

“That can be negotiated, I’m sure-” Khalila offered.

“You know what you want, Dario, I know you do.” Jess said. “If we’re going to fuck, we can discuss it right here.”

Jess still wasn’t sure Dario would answer… until he licked his top lip and leaned forward, elbows on his knees.

“I want to kiss somebody that looks like you. Like me. I want to have an erection in my mouth. I want to be responsible for an erection. And I want to get somebody’s cock shoved up my ass until I whimper.”

Jess grinned. “Why?” he asked.

Dario’s brow furrowed a bit. “I want to see what that’s like, because I think I might like it.”

“What happens when you like it?”

“Then I know. And I’ve had it. I’ve done it.”

“And maybe you want it again.”

Dario shrugged. “Maybe. If the urge is strong enough, I negotiate something else then.”

“You can’t necessarily control the emotions that flow from all this, Dario,” Morgan said.

“I doubt that,” Dario said quickly. “None of this…” Dario’s eyes glistened for a split second. “None of this I’m looking for could ever touch what Khalila and I are together. She helped me see that, when I was still hesitant to pursue this. This is… simply something pleasurable that I really want to know. But if it happens that feelings get tangled,” he stopped, and shrugged. “Then I make the choice, and the choice will always be Khalila.”

Jess nodded. And he liked what he saw in Dario’s eyes.

Jess reached back for Morgan’s hand, and to meet her gaze. She smiled easily at him again.

“We want to sleep on it,” Jess said. “But we are… very intrigued.” He took another sip of port, watching Dario through his eyelashes as he drank. 

Jess, and Morgan - and possibly Dario - already knew what it would take Khalila another 48 hours of on-and-off discussion to feel assured everyone was really okay with. Jess and Dario had some experimenting to do. 

 

Three evenings later, Jess was back in that living room - sitting on the couch this time - swirling another glass of wine.

“You like a lot of your wine aerated, then,” Dario said from the couch cushion next to Jess’. “I hadn't noticed that about you.”

“Oh, is that what I'm accomplishing here?” he said, staring into his glass. They both snickered at the joke with an extra dose of giddiness on top.

“Aeration, you street rat,” Dario said with fondness. “it can reduce some of the harsher notes in a wine.”

“Ohhh,” Jess said. “There’s a science to even drinking this, isn't there?”

“There is, but I promise you, you can't be bothered,” Dario said with a handwave. 

“I believe that,” Jess said.

While they hadn't touched yet, Dario was sitting just a hair closer on the couch than he normally would. He had also slouched down and leaned back, sprawling his legs wide in front of him... just in case Jess had forgotten why they’d gathered again, Jess supposed.

“I'll find you two a few crates of good stuff to have on hand,” Dario offered, “then you don’t have to fuss over what to drink.”

Jess tucked a leg underneath and shifted to face Dario. “Spaniards and their exquisite taste,” he said, grinning.

Dario side-eyed him, with a warm grin. “This was Khalila’s plan, don't forget. And we all know her exquisite judgment does not extend to her taste in men.”

Jess took another sip, watching Dario’s chest rise and fall just a bit more than usual, and he realized he was anticipating a very good time tonight.

Just then Khalila strode in.

“Apologies for my delay,” she said out of breath.

“Everything alright, I trust?” Dario said.

“Oh yes, just unnecessary emergencies at work,” she said as she poured herself a goblet of water. “All settled now.”

“Good,” Jess said. “Don't sit down,” he said a bit more rudely than he’d intended. 

She looked concerned for a moment, especially once Jess stood up.

“I love you, Khalila,” Jess said. “But we’re done talking.”

He drained his goblet and set it down. Then he took a step past Dario, and then another. Enough to position him closer to the bedroom, and hopefully to take Dario off-guard.

Then Jess spun around, reached down and hauled Dario up by a fistful of his shirt. As he’d hoped, Dario was taken aback enough to grab Jess’ arms as he overcompensated his balance.

With Dario in his arms, his face suddenly within reach, Jess caught him up in a kiss. As their lips instantly warmed, Dario let go a small huff of surprise. Jess pushed further and dug his tongue into Dario’s mouth. He was pleased he’d had the chance of a few day’s stubble growth. If Dario wanted to be with a man, he should get as much of the experience as possible, which meant the possibility of mild rug burn with every kiss.

Dario eagerly pressed his mouth harder into Jess, bringing a bracing hand up to Jess’ neck and craning to accommodate more of Jess’ tongue. 

At Dario’s response, Jess considered teasing him by ending the kiss fast. He’d have to rein in that instinct, at least a little bit. This experiment wasn't about withholding. It was about satisfaction. About giving his friend what he’d wanted… apparently for quite some time now. 

So Jess dove into Dario’s warm mouth again, and let him luxuriate in the sensations.

They quickly found a rhythm between them that danced between tender and bruising -- characteristic of them, Jess thought. When Dario finally pulled away, his eyes were a little glassy. And he smiled.

“What do you think?” Jess asked.

“Even the kissing is different,” Dario said quietly. “Or is that just us?”

Jess gave a tiny shrug. “Little bit us. A little bit, the natural distinctions in terrain. Khalila?”

“Right here,” Khalila said warmly from nearby. 

Jess didn’t take his eyes from Dario. “You alright, my friend?” he asked her.

“A bit drafty in here, truth be told,” she said slyly. “We should retire to the bedroom.”

Jess leaned around Dario to smile at her. Then he smiled at Dario. Then he led them into the bedroom.

 

White bedsheets. Jess couldn’t fathom why anyone ever had white bedsheets. They generally made him quite self-conscious. 

But Dario and Khalila had them -- white sheets under white and gray pillows under the fluffiest brilliant red blanket he’d ever seen. The rest of the room was decorated to match, and he was pretty sure Dario had influenced the choices more than Khalila had. Thick rugs, lush velvet wallpaper, gold accents on most furniture. It was opulent.

The one piece that looked like Khalila was a large but tasteful finely carved wooden desk. Though she might have also picked out the small, soft chair she had just pulled toward the bed and sat down in. A pretty picture - a young hijabi woman, legs crossed and hands in her lap, ready to view some wholesome divertissement.

Dario crossed between them. He stopped in front of Khalila, reached for her hand, and pulled it to his mouth for a kiss that made Jess’ heart ache a bit. They really were a great fit, those two.

Then Dario turned to face Jess - dark hair tousled, dark eyes libidinous and a little apprehensive, shirt disheveled and pale against the deep tan of his skin. 

And Jess felt an ache considerably lower in his body.

Jess reached for the top button of Dario’s shirt, and unbuttoned it. Slowly, he reached for another, and another, spreading the fabric apart. Dario stood there and let him, staring into Jess’ eyes, until the garment was loose on his shoulders. Then he shrugged it off and in one swift motion, had removed Jess’ pullover shirt from him. 

It was usually the differences that Jess had noticed between them, when he noticed anything about them both being undressed. Dario had always been just a slight bit stockier than Jess’ thin frame, a trifling more brawny than Jess’ sleek build. Dario was always considerably darker than Jess’ pale shade of skin. 

But this time, Jess noticed what Dario likely would… and soon did. As Jess put a hand to Dario’s cheek, Dario used his hands to explore Jess’ sameness -- the same subtle swells at the shoulder. The same grooves and soft lines down the back, then up the arms. The same definition at the collarbone... and then at the stomach. The same narrow hips.

Jess’ own first time with a man was hardly more than a year ago, and he didn’t want to rush Dario past anything. He knew. It’s one thing to be surrounded by men’s bodies all your life. It’s another to acknowledge bareness. To reach for skin. To hunger. He stroked Dario’s hair, and the back of his neck, as Dario led with his hands and slowly - ever so slowly - inched his chest closer to Jess.

“Natural distinctions in terrain,” Dario echoed.

“Different,” Jess said, eyes darting to Khalila for a moment, who winked at him. “And the same.” 

Dario rested his hands at Jess’ hips, mere inches away from touching Jess anywhere else. Jess reached his arms around Dario and kissed him again. Dario melted against him, hearts beating against each other, breath shared.

Jess felt Dario’s hand trail down to his lower back… and then it slipped into his trousers.

Jess gasped dramatically. 

“Are you getting fresh with me, Santiago?” he grinned deliriously.

“I was, in fact, considering it,” Santiago said. “And your ass has always been-”

“Ooo, what? What’s it been?” Jess asked.

Dario’s eyes twinkled and his mouth hung open as he clearly debated between options. He finally said, “Grabbable.”

Jess smiled. “Then you should definitely grab it. Let me help.”

Jess put a hand to Dario’s shoulder and pressed him down to the floor. 

To Dario’s credit, he did what he was told, and kept both hands massaging Jess’ glutes. That also conveniently slowed a now very nervous Dario’s progress toward freeing what was a full erection from Jess’ pants. In lieu of the courage to broach that task yet, Dario rested a chin on Jess’ stomach - his bare neck pressed against the fabric holding Jess’ straining cock. 

The visual of Dario looking so vulnerable was stunning, and Jess let himself enjoy it for a moment.

Then he reached to unfasten his pants. 

Before he could finish, Dario was wresting the buttons loose, and soon Jess’ trousers were off entirely.

As soon as Jess’ cock was visible, Dario’s hesitation was gone. He wrapped a hand around Jess’ cock, then slowly began exploring the underside of it with his tongue. 

Jess let out a satisfied moan, and looked toward Khalila again. She looked radiant, still fully clothed and sitting in her dignified way. He smiled at her. And a memory came to him.

“The first fellatio I ever offered… I did this.” He pointed down. “I dove right in. And… my partner said, ‘I know this is new to you. Do you want any guidance?’”

He paused his story to breathe through rising pleasure, as Dario began experimenting with putting his lips around one side of Jess’ shaft and sucking softly. Jess put gentle fingertips into Dario’s hair to encourage the behavior.

“And I said... well, I eventually freed my mouth for a moment and said... ‘You know, I have what I believe may be educated guesses... toward potentially sound strategies. I’d like to get your input on those first.’”

Khalila laughed a throaty laugh. “You did not say that.”

“I absolutely did,” Jess said. “I thought to myself at the time, ‘Khalila would be proud of my approach to this problem.’”

“That’s all well and good,” Dario said, “but pay attention to me.”

“You’re doing… not terribly at all,” Jess breathed. “Not… at all.”

“Sterling praise,” Dario said, sucking his teeth. “Any guidance you wanna give before I try swallowing this sword?”

“Use your heart to guide you, Dario,” Jess offered.

With that, Dario drew a long, wet tongue up Jess’ shaft, and pulled him into his mouth, down to the hilt. 

“Oh, Christ Jesus!” Jess moaned, and he knew Dario could feel the wobble in his knees. “That’s… yes.”

Dario pulled his head back on a long suck - tendrils of hair beginning to glisten flat at his temples - and took Jess’ whole cock in again.

“Oh God, yes,” Jess groaned. “Wait, yes! Dario can’t talk! This is suddenly overwhelmingly arousing.”

Dario kept his mouth occupied, but his hands flew up over his head, and Jess could make out sign language - letters and mangled words.

“No, NO! Khalila, handcuff him!”

Khalila responded to the joke by saying something in a bright voice. But Jess didn’t make out the words, because it turned out Dario’s instincts for fellatio were absolutely magnificent. And he forgot where he was for a moment.

Jess let loose of that part of his brain that had been tending to Khalila, tending to Dario. He let himself just stand there, a beautiful man on his knees in front of him. He tousled his hair and touched his cheek, and ran his hands over Dario’s shoulders and just luxuriated.

He was a part of something making everybody involved feel good. He didn’t want to miss seeing that, as it happened. Even if having a dear friend get himself off on Jess’ cock wasn’t the most selfless thing he’d ever done.

Dario continued his ministrations for some time until it seemed to Jess his friend’s jaw was a little tired. 

“Okay, take a break,” Jess said, pulling Dario off by his hair, perhaps a bit brusquely.

Dario gasped in a funny way. 

Something about the sound made Jess not pull his hand out of Dario’s hair just yet.

He looked into Dario’s eyes, which now looked to Jess with whole new level of hunger.

Jess threw an assessing glance at Khalila. She had leaned in to both of them, her face more alert. Also more knowing. 

“Is there anything else I should know about your desires tonight, Dario?” Jess asked.

“I don’t know what you m-”

Jess got a firm grip on Dario’s hair, and craned his face up hard enough to expose his beautiful neck at an awkward angle. Dario moaned and panted, his eyes darker and pleading.

Jess looked at Khalila again, still in her dignified seat. She met his eyes and softly nodded. 

Before he could stop himself, Jess felt a giddy laugh bubble up out of him. He crouched down to the puddle that was Dario on the floor, grabbed his chin with his free hand and gave him a long, bruising kiss. Then he roughly pulled his mouth away and drug him to his feet by his hair.

“Take your trousers off,” Jess ordered as Dario gasped for breath.

Hands on his hips, Jess stood motionless and watched as Dario struggled a moment with his fly, then peeled the last of his clothes down his legs.

Every inch of Dario really was superfluously beautiful.

“Get on the bed,” Jess said coldly. “Face down.”

Dario shivered, hard. Then he stood awkwardly, warily gauging the new look Jess knew he had in his eyes. Dario turned and faced the bed, but was slow to move further. 

Jess exchanged a look with Khalila, and saw no reason there to change his next plan.

He took Dario’s arm, twisted it quickly behind his back and pushed him face down into the mattress, landing beside him.

“Ohhh,” Dario groaned into the bedsheets. “Oh, God, yes,” he whispered.

“Ohhhh,” Jess hummed. “This is getting downright therapeutic.”

“Oh, Jesus Christ,” Dario gasped.

“I think,” Jess said calmly. “It’s a very good thing that this isn’t the first time I’ve found myself a beautiful romantic who likes it rough and raw.”

“Oh, fuck!” Dario’s tone was becoming a little unhinged.

He climbed on top of Dario, straddling him from behind.

“Jess, yes, Jesus Christ!”

“Yes, what?”

“Yes, please!”

“No, I know you’re begging me,” Jess said quietly. “What are you begging me to do, Dario?”

“Please fuck me, please. I’m begging you.”

“Do you mean fuck you in a bad business deal?” Jess took the hand not pinning Dario’s arm to his lower back, and trailed a finger between Dario’s butt cheeks.

Dario buried his face deeper into a pillow but it didn’t muffle him much. “Jesus Christ, you scrubber, I hate you so much right now.”

“Oh, do you mean more oral?”

Dario lifted his head off the pillow. “Take your goddamn cock and shove it up my ass until I scream, you bastard. Please!”

Khalila made the most delighted face Jess had ever seen, as she was suddenly at Jess’ side, handing him a small bottle of oil. Then she sat down on the bed, up out of the way, near Dario’s face.

“Oh, you should have said something earlier, Dario. I didn’t mean to keep you waiting.”

Jess let go of the arm, squeezing Dario’s thighs together tight underneath him as he did. Dario curled both arms around a pillow and one of Khalila’s legs, breath ragged, as she played with his hair.

Jess coated his cock in oil, then took two lubed fingers and curled them between Dario’s cheeks until they found a place to slip inside.

Dario growled, and arched his back in a vain attempt to get Jess’ fingers deeper.

Jess decided he’d teased enough. He handed the bottle to Khalila, loosened his grip on Dario’s thighs, and found his goal with the tip of his cock.

He leaned in enough to coax his way in an inch or so. And Dario whimpered. 

“Dario, are you okay?” Jess asked.

“Do it, do it, do it, please now Jess, for the love of all that is holy everywhere.”

Jess firmly pushed in just a bit further. He felt Dario flinch, and then release, and suddenly Jess was in deep.

Jess exchanged looks with Khalila over Dario’s long, bone-deep groan. He used one arm to maintain his current position carefully, knowing from experience that an inexperienced ass wasn’t the best place to get rough. 

He used his other arm to yank Dario’s head back by the hair. Dario yelped.

“I can’t hear your delicious moans when your face is buried in the pillow,” Jess said.

“Oh fuck me Jess Jesus Christ this is hot yes yes yes please” Dario gibbered, out of breath.

“How are you feeling?”

“Fuck. Me.”

“I’m aware of the agenda. Me getting going will be a different sensation. Are you ready for me to move?”

“I… oh Jesus. I don’t know but do it anyway.”

“You get very religious when you’re fucking, Dario.”

“He’s very devoted,” Khalila offered, caressing his arm.

“Whose side are you on?” Dario asked her.

“Hush and answer the question, beloved,” Khalila said.

“Yes, yes, I’m ready. Fuck me.”

Jess pulled almost entirely out, and Dario made a delicious deep gasp from the sudden change in sensation. And for the next three strokes, Jess went slow and easy... with his hips, at least. Dario relaxed into the feelings, and slowly adjusted. 

Midway through, Jess leaned down between Dario’s neck and shoulder and bit down hard on the flesh there. Dario shuddered violently underneath Jess, arching his back to reach ass and shoulder toward Jess, one hand gripping Khalila’s for dear life.

Jess picked up his pace to a slow but steady dig, taking another moment to just luxuriate in the exquisitely handsome man underneath him, made of beautiful ripples of muscle and warm need. 

Dario, who he’d survived so many hells with. Dario, writhing in ecstasy.

Dario’s groans shifted to ragged, rumbling yells as he truly warmed up, and Jess picked up to a hot thrust. Talk slowed as all of them got lost in sensation. Jess let himself curve and bob against Dario just as he wanted to, without thinking, without planning. Dario’ eyes were closed as his head rocked with Jess’ movements, his breathing deep and thick with lust. Khalila, Jess saw, watched Jess’ cock move in and out of Dario with a sultry dedication.

Jess granted himself a few more moments of not planning, and when he felt the tension building up, he gave Dario the choice.

“Dario, I can pull out right now or I can truly pound you for a minute. But I need you to p-”

“Don’t pull out, fuck! Don’t pull out! Please, harder, Jess, please.”

Jess’ hips heard ‘harder’ before his brain did, and began bucking. 

He curled his whole sweat-soaked body down to touch every part of Dario he could reach. Arms wrapped tight, fingers dug in for dear life. Holding on to Dario’s body, now nearly slack with euphoria, Jess poured every bit of himself that he could into Dario, bellowing into his shoulder blade long and hard as he did.

As Jess lay there waiting for his runaway breath to return to him, he felt Khalila’s hand alight on the back of his head. One soft, perfumed caress amidst his and Dario’s shared, unyielding heat.

He turned his head and hoped his smile was visible. He needed just a second more before any other movement was possible.

“Dario?”

“Mmph.”

Jess carefully began extricating himself as gently as he could. He curled up to a kneeling position, and - with a reassuring nod from Khalila, carefully tilted Dario around onto his back.

“Where are you at, my friend?” Jess ran a hand up Dario’s still quite erect cock and thought he might be close to bursting for at least the second time, judging by the sheets. “Do you want some help?”

Dario lay there weakly but nodded. Jess looked to Khalila, who reached to stroke Dario’s collarbone and gestured that Jess should finish him off.

Jess leaned into a good stroking position, gathered some of what already wet down Dario’s midsection onto his hand, and started what he thought was probably a weak but decent hand job. Jess’ other hand wandered to the center of Dario’s chest, where Jess’ fingertips lingered around the heart area. A minute later, Dario - seemingly half-passed out - still managed what seemed an extraordinary orgasm that nearly lifted him off the bed, and spread plenty more mess across their white sheets.

Jess smiled at the result of all his good work. Then he happily sat there unmoving while Khalila went to get them both drinks.

 

A while later, wiped down and partially hydrated, Khalila, Jess and Dario rested. Jess sat crosslegged with a blanket thrown over his lap. Dario lay his head on Khalila’s knee and his calves across Jess’ lap blanket.

Jess stifled a yawn, but Khalila noticed. 

“Stay the night, Jess,” Khalila urged.

“Absolutely, stay,” Dario chimed in.

Jess shook his head. “Morgan’s expecting me. We’ve got some alone time planned.”

“Nothing too taxing, I hope?” Dario said. “You’re spent.” 

“No no, we already agreed to that stipulation,” Jess replied. “I was to hold nothing back here.” He winked at Khalila.

So Morgan decided not to join us?” Dario asked.

“Are you just now noticing?” Khalila teased.

“I noticed before!” Dario said defensively.

Jess laughed. “Disappointed?” he asked.

“Not really, if I'm honest,” Dario said. “She’s beautiful and extraordinary, my friend, but not what I'm about right now. And this is complex enough.”

“Yeah, she figured she wasn’t a priority,” Jess said. “And she's fine with that!” he hastened to add, over Khalila’s concerned face. “She wasn't ever really interested in participation... though she’s been ridiculously excited about the notion. And apparently we nearly won her some money.”

Dario raised both eyebrows. “I’m sorry, won her money?”

“Oh!” Khalila exclaimed, putting a hand to her mouth.

“Nearly won,” Jess said. “Unbeknownst to me until this week, there was a small betting pool at Ptolemy House, regarding how long it would take you and I to get to this point.”

“You’re joking,” Dario said.

“I am not. Morgan had wagered on some time after our postulancy, up to a year out from our appointments. She was willing to risk never getting any money, extending the bet that far out, you understand. She was that convinced that we would, in fact, do this... but also convinced that it would take us that much time to sort it out.”

“Good grief,” Dario said.

Khalila giggled.

“You knew about this!” Dario exclaimed.

“I knew of it,” Khalila laughed. “I did not bet, nor did I pay heed to who placed what bet. So you outlasted all the wagers, then?”

“No,” Jess said.

Dario and Khalila both stared at him.

“There’s someone who wagered further out than a year,” Khalila said incredulously.

“There’s someone who placed the bet that it would take us at least two years, but no more than five,” Jess said.

“Oh my God. The specificity! Who?”

Jess paused for dramatic effect, but also because he was still incredulous about it.

“Nic,” he said.

Khalila gasped, while Dario dropped his jaw. 

“That’s not Nic,” Khalila said with wide, twinkling eyes. “That’s not a Nic bet.”

“Nic overheard it,” Dario agreed. “He overheard us. Nic took that intelligence home. And somebody else in that house-”

“‘At least two years but no more than five?’” Khalila said in a suspicious voice.

“-Sent him back over,” Dario continued, starting to laughing deliriously. “To... to place a bet on us!”

Jess shook his head in an amused ruefulness at the thought. 

“That jackass,” Dario said with a smile.

“He won with that answer, too,” Jess stunned.

“Well, that’s why he’s a jackass,” Dario said.

“I guess I should get him former Postulant Himura’s address in Kyoto, see if he can claim his winnings.”

Dario’s eyes went wide. “... Izumi ran this?”

“So it would seem.”

“How do you know where she is?” Khalila asked.

“She runs a bookstore there, we’ve met on Library business. She’s doing very well for herself.”

Dario sat up to reach more water. “She’s clearly more savvy than I realized.”

Jess chuckled. “The first time we met for a business dinner, she said, ‘You know, Jess, I was heartbroken at first, not making your class. But the way things ended up,’” and Jess mimicked Izumi, patting Khalila’s arm, “‘I think it might have been best.’”

Khalila and Dario laughed heartily.

“We did get a little more than we bargained for, didn't we?” Khalila mused.

“Speaking of big… bargains,” Jess looked to Dario and smiled. “How are you doing, my friend?” Jess asked.

Dario gave a smug grin. “I have been... well-bargained,” he said.

“Only Dario could get smug about somebody else’s work,” Jess replied. “But you’re welcome. If my duties are complete, I will leave you here,” he said. He looked around for his clothes and discovered that they had somehow achieved a neatly folded pile on a stool near the bed.

“Oh, I’ll call a carriage,” Khalila said, opening a nightstand drawer and finding a Codex.

“Don’t bother, Khalila. It’s a nice night, and it’s just a few blocks. I’ll walk.”

“You’re sure?”

He nodded and gave her smile. Jess couldn’t help but notice the otherwise drowsy and distracted Dario was watching him get dressed.

“Jess,” Dario said.

“Yes?”

“Thank you,” Dario replied, meeting his gaze.

Jess threw him one of his more charming smiles. If he recalled correctly at the moment, Khalila and Dario might look for such arrangements again in the future, if Dario felt the desire to pursue it. Jess thought he might not say no, if asked again.

“Jess, we love you,” Khalila said, dislodging Dario to get up and hug him.

“I love you too, Khalila,” Jess replied, squeezing her affectionately. “That one? Eh.”

Dario wasn’t even bothering to sit up to say goodbye… but he did roll onto his hip and strike a casual but unmistakably winsome reclining pose, worthy of sculpting in marble.

“The feeling’s mutual, dear Scholar,” he replied. 

“Have a lovely rest of your night,” Jess said to them both, and Khalila walked him to the door. “I’ll see you both at work. Where’s dinner this month?”

“This month is Nic and Christopher’s,” Khalila said. “You’re sure you’re alright walking?”

“It will be lovely,” Jess said. “Tend to Dario.”

He took her hand and kissed it. Then he let himself out the side entrance for family, and walked out into a crystal clear night of stars.

It would be a beautiful walk home to Morgan.


End file.
